When The Vox Agency was founded in April 2011, the first order of business was creating a company where the staff could work from home. We felt this created a work-life balance from the get-go. At the time, many questioned how productive we could be. Fast forward to 2020. We’re through the phase of how to set up a home office. Weeks and months into this quarantine, the question is now how to stay creative and productive.
Let Your Eyes Open
One of the biggest mistakes we make is checking our phones before our feet hit the floor. Experts say this behavior wires your brain to immediately allow others’ needs, wants and requests to take priority before you have had that first cup of coffee. Instead, take a few minutes in the morning for you. Take your time waking up and getting ready for the day. With most of us not tied to our calendars, this is when it is OK to let the day naturally begin instead of worrying about cleaning out the overnight junk mail that has come in.
Write Freely
Why not take this time to start a journal? Nowadays, they are much more precise than just the diary with the lock and key. From gratitude journals to the Bullet Journal Method, there is a style of journal writing for everyone.
Write on the Walls
If you’re working in a home office, that means no one is walking in. That also means you can get a whiteboard – even if it’s the adhesive temporary version – and start freely writing your ideas. Writing on a big board on the wall is a much different feeling and experience than writing it on your phone or even a piece of paper.
Maintain Your Sanity
It is OK to feel drained from the daily deluge of bad news or worse yet, uncertainty. As a matter of fact, to return your mind back to how it was before the quarantine, think of your mind like this: social media algorithms are not that different from how our brains are wired. For example, if you like and follow pages about cars, eventually, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. will start proactively showing you pictures and posts about cars. Your brain is the same way. If all it’s being fed are negative and stressful news stories, that is going impact your creativity and thinking. Instead, how about watching a few videos on the Some Good News Network, downloading a few meditation apps or checking out Imgur?
Get Outside
This cannot be understated enough: to be creative, you need fresh air.
Add Color
You have the time now to look at your space and figure out what you really want to do with it. Color can enhance your mood and impact your thought process. Research what experts say about different colors to determine how you want to feel in your space, e.g. experts suggest green for creativity and yellow to boost your mood.
Vision Boards
Similar to the whiteboard, the vision board can literally be your roadmap of where you are going. Put it where you meditate and/or relax to let your ideas flow.
Would you like to hear more about our creative process? Contact us here.
~ Marina Nicola
Posted By
Vox Interns
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Blog